Convertible pick-up unit for balers



Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELL CONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS 13Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 10, 1948 Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELLCONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS Original Fild March 10, 1948 Dec.25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELL 2,775,089

CONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FORBALERS Original Filed March 10, 1948 13Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELL 2,775,039

CONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS Original Filed March 10, 1948 13Sheets-Sheet 4 v fin/era Zon Siam leg D. JPzwseZl.

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Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELL 2,775,089

CONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS Original Filed March 10, 1948 13Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELL CONVERTIBLE PICKUP UNIT FORBALERS l3 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed March 10, 1948 lll..

Dec. 25, 1956 s. n. RUSSELL 2,775,039

CONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS Original Filed March 10, 1948 13Sheets-Sheet '7 Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELL 2,775,039

CONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS Original Filed March 10, 1948 13Sheets-Sheet 8 fnvenzfoi" wnle yflu Fwsell Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELLCONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS l3 SheetsPSheet 9 Original FiledMarch 10, 1948 x z a 2 7 M W K 9 0 5 J 4 0 5 a z m 72% 5? //g fZZ/n Zor:jicznlgg/ .D-fassel.

Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELL CONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS OriginalFiled March 10, 1948 13 Sheets-Sheet 10 Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELLCONVERTIBLE PICK-UP um FOR BALERS l3 Sheets-Shem; 11

Original Filed March 10, 1948 Dec. 25, 1956 s. D. RUSSELL 7 CONVERTIBLEPICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS Original Filed March 10, 1948 132 Sheets-Sheet12 5. ID. RUSSELL CONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS Dec. 25, 1956 13Sheetry-Sheet 13 Original Filed March 10, 1948 United States PatentCONVERTIBLE PICK-UP UNIT FOR BALERS Stanley D. Russell, Racine, Wis],as'signoi' to I. 1. Case Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Original application March 16, 1948, Serial No. 13,%9,

now Patent No. 2,674,839, dated April 13, W54. Divided and thisapplication September 8, 1953, Serial No. 378,958

4 Claims. (Cl. 56341) The present invention relates generally to apick-up unit of the type used with mobile crop handling units such asbalers. The present application is a division of my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 13,969, filed March 10, 1948, now Patent No.2,674,839.

In the handling of field crops which have been cut and placed inwindrows, it is frequently necessary to shift the windrows, in order toproperly dry the crop material for further handling, as in the baling ofhay. Heretofore, the repositioning of the windrows has been usuallyachieved through the use of a side delivery rake, which turns the cropmaterial over as it shifts the windrow to a position spaced laterallyfrom its original position.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved form of pick-up unit for use with a crop handling machine, suchas a baler, which is adaptable to selectively direct the cut cropmaterial into the crop handling machine or to re-deposit the cropmaterial on the ground in laterally spaced relation to the originalwindrow. Another object of the invention is to provide a pick-up unit ofthe type described, which is adaptable to reposition a windrow in thefield without turning the windrow over to thereby expose it to anexcessive rate of drying which diminishes the nutritional value of thecrop. Other objects and advantages will become apparent as reference ishad to the accompanying description and drawings.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the right hand side of the prime moverwhich forms a part of a self-propelled baler constructed in accordancewith the invention;

, 1 Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the left side of the apparatusillustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the drive mechanism of a self-propelled balerconstructed in accordance with the invention with parts broken away andin section;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the variable speed V-beltassembly which forms an important part of the prime mover illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 4;.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary, perspective view of the: driveelements which operatively connect the prime mover to the balingmechanism:

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the improved windrow pick-upwhich forms a part of the baler of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a sectional View of the pickup which is illustrated in Figfitlwith parts broken away.. This view is taken on a line which extendsparallel to the line of draft of the implement;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the hold down stripsused in the construction of the wind guard which forms a part of thepick-up illustrated in Fig. 9;

11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing the position 2,775,089 PatentedDec. 25, 1956 ICC '2. of the hold down strips when the wind guard is inthe alternative position;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the feeding mechanism whichforms an important part of the invention with parts broken away and insection;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the feeding mechanismillustrated in Fig. 12,. some parts being cut away and shown in section;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of the feed belts which form apart of the feeding unit illustrated in the preceding figures with partsbroken away and in section;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged diagrammatic, plan view of the rive arrangementfor the feeding unit;

Fig. 16 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a novel belt aligningpulley which is one of the important elements of the drive mechanism forthe feeding unit;

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the pickup unit illustrating the use of theapparatus in accordance with the invention as a windrow mover;

Fig. 17a is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 17, which furtherillustrates certain features of the apparatus when in use as a windrowmover;

Fig. 18 is an enlarged, perspective view of the baling piston and itsassociated baling chamber with parts broken away and in section;

Figs. 19 and 20 are plan and elevational views respectively, of thenovel wedges which form a part of the baling chamber illustratedparticularly in Fig. 18;

Fig. 21 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing animproved safety link which forms a part of the baler constructionsillustrated in the drawings;

Fig. 21a is a view drawn on a reduced scale taken on line 21a-2la ofFig. 21;

Fig. 22 is an enlarged fragmentary, perspective view of a noveladjustable bale case which is embodied in the apparatus of the presentinvention;

Fig. 23 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the adjusting wedge whichforms a part of the bale case illustrated in Fig. 22;

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of the drive arrangement which is employedwhen a baler in accordance with the invention is driven from a powertake-01f shaft;

Fig. 25 is a diagrammatic, plan view of the drive mechanism which isemployed when a baler in accordance with the invention is driven from aground wheel;

Fig. 25a is a sectional view showing the off-set, counterbalanced crankand the sprocket and the clutch which forms a part of the drivemechanism illustrated in Fig. 25;

Fig. 251) is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 25b-25b in Fig.25a with parts broken away; and

Fig. 26 is a perspective view showing a self-powered, pull-type balerembodying the features of the invention.

Pick-up balers are of two general types; the pull type and the selfpropelled type. The self propelled baler includes, as an integral unit,a prime mover which is adapted to move the implement about the field aswell as to provide the power to drive the various mechanisms which arenecessary to the efficient operation of the baler. The pull typeimplement is drawn by a tractor or other draft vehicle and is poweredfrom a power take off, from a separate engine, or from an operativeconnection to one of the ground wheels. The baler to be discussed in thegreatest detail is of the self propelled type, but it will be apparentthat the various features of the invention are equally applicable toboth types of balers.

This particular embodiment of a self propelled baler comprises a primemover P which includes a frame portion F on which are journalledsuitable support wheels, so that the apparatus can be moved about afield, windrow pick-up unit W. a feeding unit G, a baling chamber B, anadjustable bale case C, and a bale tying or fastening means T. Forconvenience, the various elements of the implement will be individuallydiscussed under several sub-titles.

, Prime movie? The prime mover P, in the self propelled baler, isadapted to support the various elements of the baler for movement aboutthe field, and to provide the power which is necessary to energize thevarious mechanisms of the baler as well as the power which is requiredto move the baler about the field. The prime mover P includes agenerally T-shaped frame F (Figs. 1 and 3) which comprises alongitudinally extending section which is adapted to be supported by asupport wheel at its forward end, a plurality of structural memberswhich form the baling chamber B and the bale case C at the rearward endof the longitudinally extending section, and a transversely extending,outrigger-like frame 31 which is adapted to support the windrow pick-upW and the crop feeding means G. The wheel 30 supports the forward end ofthe longitudinally extending frame and a pair of spaced-apart supportwheels 32 and 33 are journalled onto an axle 35 which forms a part ofthe outrigger-like frame 31. g In the Structure illustrated, the forwardend of the longitudinally extending frame and the motive power for thevarious elements are provided by the forward portion of a tricycle type,medium-sized, tractor M. The part of the tractor M which is employed inthe structure, is that part which is normally ahead of the transmission,and includes the forward wheel assembly, the steering mechanism, theengine, the clutch, and the usual propellor shaft. The main structuralmembers which form the rearward end of the longitudinally extendingframe are a pair of rearwardly extending, parallel, spaced-apart anglemembers 37 (Figs. 1, Z, and 22) which form a suitable support under thebaling chamber B and the bale case C. The angle members 37 are suitablybraced by appropriate bracing members 39.

The power for the windrow pick-up unit W, the crop feeding unit G, andthe baling mechanism and the power to move the implement about the fieldis transmitted from the engine by a propeller shaft 41 (Fig. 3) to across shaft 43 by means of a bevel gear set 45. The cross shaft 43 isjournalled into suitable bearings on the frame F of the implement. Adrive pulley 47 is keyed to one end of the cross shaft 43 and the pulley'47. is adapted to drive the various elements of the harvester. Theother end of the cross shaft 43 is connected into a conventional,three-speed transmission and clutch combination 49, adapted to transmitthe power necessary to move the implement about the field. Power istransmitted to the support wheel 33 from the threespeed transmission 49by means of a novel V-belt, variable speed, drive assembly 51 and aseries of chains and sprockets. The variable, V-belt, drive asembly 51is adapted to be continuously adjustable so that the rate of movement ofthe baler can be maintained at the optimum baling speed.

The V-belt assembly 51 (Figs. 4, 5, and 6) includes a pair ofspaced-apart, adjustable width pulleys 53 and 53 which are connected bya V-belt 55. Pulley 53' is attached to the output shaft 56 of thethree-speed transmission 49 and the other pulley, 53, is attached to across shaft 57 which is rotatably journalled in the main frame F. Theend portion '73 of each of the shafts 56 and 57 is splined so that thespacing-of the pulleys can be adjusted on the shafts.

The adjustable pulleys 53 and 53' are constructed in an identical mannerso that in the following description only pulley 53 will be described.The pulley 53 includes an inner disc 59 which is movable toward and awayfrom a fixed outer disc 61. The outerdisc 61 is rigidly attached to theend of the shaft 57 bymeans of a cap screw 63 which engages a thrustplate 65 on the end of the shaft 57 (Pig. 5). The thrust plate may beconveniently attached to the shaft 57 by means of a cap screw 69. Theinner face 71 of the outer disc 61 tapers inwardly towards the center ofthe disc at the same slope as the face of the V-belt 55 so that aconstant contact force will be maintained between the face of the belt55 and the inner face 71 of the disc 61. The hub of the movable or innerdisc 59 engages the splined portion of the shaft 57 and is movablelongitudinally therealong. The outer face 75 of the inner disc 59 tapersoutwardly so that it engages the inner face of the V-belt 55. The innerdisc 59 may be biased inwardly, toward the frame F, by means of a coilspring 77 which can be disposed within a recess 79 in the hub portion ofthe outer disc 61 (Fig. 5). The inner and outer discs 59 and 61respectively, are each provided with reinforcing webs 81 to strengthenthe faces of the discs which co-act with the V-be'lt 55. In order thatthe pulleys may be statically and dynamically balanced, counterweightingportions 83 are formed as an integral part of each of the discs andthese may be drilled out to balance the assemblage.

Relative positioning of the inner and outer discs, 59 and 61, isaccomplished by means of a sleeve 85 which is journalled for freerotation relative to the splined portion 73 of the shaft '57. Athrust-type ball bearing ring 87 is provided between the discpositioning sleeve 85 and the inner disc '59 so that the rotation of theinner disc does not rotate the sleeve 85; the ball bearing ring 87 isheld in position by a pair of snap rings 88. The inner face 89 of thedisc positioning sleeve 85 is a cam surface and this face co-acts with acomplementary, mating, cam surface 91 fixedly to the main frame F. Theforces resulting from rotation of the sleeve 85 and the resultingrelative movement of the cam surfaces 89 and 91 will eifect longitudinalmovement of the sleeve 85 along the spline portion 73 of the shaft 57.This longitudinal movement of the sleeve 85 will, in turn, effectmovement of the inner disc 59 outwardly relative to the outer disc 61and the spring 77 or the tension of the belt 55 alone, will separate thediscs when the disc adjusting sleeve 85 is rotated in the oppositedirection.

The pulley 5'3'is provided with a cam surfaced, adjusting sleeve '85which is similar to the adjusting sleeve 85 which has been described inconnection with pulley 53. The two sleeves are mechanicallyinterconnected so as to move together by means of a pair of flexiblestrips of,

metal 101 which are joined by an adjustable, resilient, shock absorberand tensioning device 103 (Fig. 6). The pulleys are relativelypositioned by means of the interconnected, disc positioning sleeves 85and 85 and any increase in spacing betweenthe discs on one pulley willautomatically decrease the spacing between thedi'sc's on the otherpulley an equivalent amount. 'Thi's assures the maintenance of theV-xbelt 85 :at proper tension at all times. v

Adjustment 'of theposition of the sleeves 8 5 and 85 is accomplished bymeans of a sprocket 93 whichforms an integral part of the sleeve 85 onthe pulley 53. Movement of this sprocket is effected from a hand wheel95 which is located on the *baler frame within reach of the baleroperator. The hand wheel 95 is keyed .to a suitable shaft 97 which isjournalled in the frame. F, and a sprocket99 attached to the shaft 97 isconnected to the sprocket '93 on the sleeve 35 by means of a .ssuittblechain [and sprocket linkage 100. v

The cam surfaces associated with the forward pulley 53 are a mirrorimage of the cam surfaces associated with the rearward pulley '53 sothat up'on rotation of the sleeves 85 and 85' in the same direction, thefaces on one pulley will move apart while the faces .on the other pulleywill move together the same-distance. This movement-causes the effectivediameter ofeach of-thc pulleys, as applies to the V-belt 55, to change,and-thus makes possible smooth and accurate adjustment ofth'e Speed ofthe implement. In the structure illustrated, the connection between thepositioning sleeves 85 and 85' is made on the lower side of each of thesleeves; but if the direction of the cam surfaces should be reversed,the connection would be made on the upper side of each of the sleeves.

Under some conditions it may be desirable .to eliminate the pair ofmating cam surfaces on one of the pulleys and the strip connectingmeans. In this case the effective diameter of the pulleys can becontrolled by adjusting one of the pulleys in the described manner, andspring biasing the movable disc of the other pulley against the V-beltso that it automatically compensates for the change in diameter of thefirst pulley.

The resilient shock absorber 103 which joins the fi'exible strips 101includes a body portion 105 which is attached at one end to one of thestrips 101 and a plungerlike member which includes a threaded rod 108having a spacer member 110 attached to its end. The spacer member 110 ofthe plunger-like member 107 is adapted to move within the body portion105 and the other end of the threaded rod 108 is attached to the otherof the flexible strips 1. The spacer member 110 is biased by means of acoil spring 109 within the body of the shock absorber 103 so as toresist longitudinal forces which tend to extend the strips 101.Adjustment of the spring tension in the shock absorber 103 isaccomplished by means of a threaded, positioning bushing 111 whichengages the threaded rod portion 108 of the plunger-like member 107(Fig. 6). The bushing 111 abuts against theouter end of the body 105 ofthe shock absorber 103. A decrease in the overall length of the shockabsorber increases the tension on the belt 55.

A brake for the implement may be provided by a brake shoe'115 whichengages the edge of the outer disc 61 of the rear pulley 53 and thepressure of the brake shoe 115 may be conveniently controlled by meansof a foot pedal 116 (Fig. 2) located near thebaler operator.

A sprocket 117 is attached to the outer end of the cross shaft 57 andthe sprocket 117 is connected to a sprocket 119 on a second cross shaft121 by means of a chain 123. A sprocket 125 is keyed to the other end ofshaft 121, and this sprocket is operatively connected by means of achain i129 to a sprocket 1.27 attached to the ground wheel 33. Power isthus positively transmitted from the V-belt drive 51 to the drive wheel33 by means of the sprocket and chain connections.

It will be noted that the two tires 131 and 133 on the drive wheel 33are of differing sizes, .the outer tire 133 having a diameter which is 2to 3 inches less than the diameter of the inner tire 131. It has beenfound that this arrangement of the drive wheel tires provides morepositive traction in a soft .field and facilitates the eflicientmovement of the implement about the field by its single driven Wheel.

The novel variable V-belt drive which has been described in theforegoing may be used either alone in combination with a conventionalthree-speed transmission to accurately control the ground speed of thebaler. However, the combination of the three-speed transmission and thevariable V-belt drive permits extremely accurate adjustment between thespeeds of the transmission without requiring unduly large variations inthe effective diameters of the pulleys.

One of the important features of the drive unit is that the tractorengine is normally operated at a constant speed during the operation ofthe implement, While the ground speed is varied by means of thethree-speed transmission and the variable V-belt drive. This feature ofa constant engine speed and variable ground speed enables the operatorto run the implement along the ground at the optimum speed for balingWhile, at the same time driving the baling mechanism at a constant speedfrom the engine. Thus, the ba ling mechanism can be operated to pick upthe material to be baled at a substantially uniform rate,

regardless ofthe size of the windrow. Also, the baling mechanism will besubjected to less wear because its speed does not vary when the speed ofthe implement along the ground is changed.

Windrow pick-up unit The windrow pick-up unit, indicated generally as Win the drawings and particularly shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is adapted topick the windrowed hay or other crop material from the ground and tomove the picked-up material to the feeding unit G which conveys it intothe abaling chamber B. The pick-up unit W is hingedly mounted at theforward end of the feeding unit G and is adjustable in a verticaldirection. The feeding unit G is in turn supported upon theoutrigger-like frame 31, which extends transversely to the line of draftof the implement. The various elements of the windrow pick-up W aresupported upon a suitable frame structure which includes, at either endthereof, a downwardly extending, generally triangular shaped platemember 135. The upper end of each of the plate members 135 is attachedto the feeding unit G by means of a transversely disposed, horizontalhinge pin 137. The plates 1'35 are reinforced by suitable angle andplate members indicated at 138 and 138a in the drawings (Fig. 9).

The pick-up includes a rotatable, skeletonized, inner cylinder 139,supported upon a shaft 141 Which is journalled in suitable bearings 142attached to a pair of sup-' porting arms 1 13. The rearward ends of thearms 143 are integrally attached to the plate 135. The bearings 142 ateach end of the rotatable cylinder 139 are provided with a caring guard1 15 which prevents weeds and trash from winding about the bearing 142and the shaft 141. The construction of the bearing guard 145 isdescribed and claimed in my application Serial No. 778,643 which wasfiled on October 8, 1947, issued October 21, 1952, as U. 5. Patent2,614,405, and which is assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention.

The cylinder 139 supports a plurality of pick-up tines 147 which arearranged in rows and which are adapted to project between spaced-apartstripper plates 149 supported upon the frame of the pick-up. Thestripper plates 1 19 define a generally cylindrical surface whichextends around the cylinder 139. Each of the stripper plates 149 isfabricated from a single strip of metal having turned-up edges 151 whichextend around the outer periphery of the cylindrical surface as shownparticularly in Fig. 12. The turned-up edges 151 have importantadvantages over the prior arrangement. They reinforce the stripperplates 149 and aid in efliciently pulling the crop material ed thepick-up tines 147. Also, they effectively prevent material from becomingwedged in the spaces between the stripper plates 149, thereby increasingthe efficiency and reliability of operation of the complete apparatus.

The rearward edges of the upper portions of each of the stripper plates149 are attached to a suitable transversely extending member 153 whichextends between the end plates 135 of the pick-up unit frame (Fig. 9).The lower portions of the stripper plates 149 are joined together by atransversely extending member 155 which is attached at each end to oneof the plate members 135. Thus, the stripper plates 149 and therotatable inner cylinder 139 are both hingedly supported for verticalmovement relative to the feeding unit G by means of the co-axial hingepins 137.

The weight, or a. large portion of the Weight, of the windrow pick-up Wis supported by means of one or more counterbalancing springs such asthe pair of spaced apart, coiled, counterbalancing springs 157, each ofwhich acts along a guide rod 159. The upper end of the guide rod 159 ishingedly attached to one of the reinforcing plates 138:: by a hinge pin160, and the lower end of the guide rod slides freely in a bracket 161which is rigidly attached to the outrigger-like frame 31. The positionof the pivot pins 137, position of the hinged connection between theguide rod 159 and the reinforcing plate 13 8a, and the direction of theforee'exerted by the spring, which is deter-mined by the guide rod, aresuch that the weight of the pick-up unit W will just overcome thebiasing action of the spring 157' when the pick-up is in the operatingposition. The spring 157 acts upon the pick-up unit W through a leverarm whose length is determined by the angular position of the hinge pin160 relative to the hinge pin 137. When the axis of a rod 159 and thepins 137 and 160 are all disposed along a straight line, there is nolever arm and no lifting force is applied to the pick-up unit. When thepick-up unit is raised to a position which causes pins 137 and 160 tofall upon a line which is perpendicular to the rod 159, a lever arm ofmaximum length results. As the pickup is raised towards the transportposition, the efiective length ofthe lever arm between the hinge pins137 and 160 is increased. The reaction of the spring 157 is decreased byits becoming extended and the biasing force of the combined lever armand spring remains substantially constant. The pick-up unit W will thenremain in either the lowered or operative position or in the raised ortransport position when the spring 157 is properly adjusted.

Hold-down strips 163 are provided for holding the picked-up cropmaterial in contact with the stripper plates 149, and a pair of suitableflared end members 165 direct the crop material which is picked up bythe tines 147 to the feeding unit F. The construction and positioning ofthe hold-down strips 163 constitute another novel feature of thestructure and are illustrated particularly in Figs. 9, 10, and 11. Thehold-down strips 163 are attached to a transversely extending tube orrod member 166 each end of which is journalled into a forwardlyextending member 167 attached to each of the flared end members 165.Each of the forwardly extending members 167 is provided with a pluralityof spaced-apart bearing holes 169 so that the position of the hold-downstrips 163 can be adjusted for varying crop conditions. The hold-downstrips 163 are suitably curved and are rigidly attached to thetransversely extending rod 166 in a spaced-apart relationship across thepick up. A positioning bracket 171 is attached to one end of thetransversely extending rod 166 so as to determine a lowered and a raisedposition for the hold-down strips. The bracket 171 includes arectangular plate portion 173 which is attached to the rod 166 in aposition parallel to the forwardly extending member 167 and a bent overflat surfaced tab or ear portion 175. The flat surface of the tab 175engages the lower edge of the forwardly extending member 167 so as todetermine the lowered position of the hold-down strips (Fig. In thisposition, the hold-down strips 163 are maintained a few inches above thestripper plates 149 (Fig. 9). The rearward edge of the tab 175 is cutaway so that it permits the hold-down strips 163 to be moved to thevertical position (Fig. 11) before it engages the lower edge of theforwardly extending member 167 and prevents further movement. In theraised position the hold-down strips serve to protect the operator frombecoming entangled with the rotating tines if it becomes necessary toclear the material from the machine during operation.

It has been determined that hold-down strips as described above, whichare not resiliently biased toward the stripper plates, as in the priorstructures, substantially eliminate stoppages of the equipment due toclogging, and result in more even feeding under extremely light loads.The construction of the hold-down strips 163 is such that they serve thedual purpose of holding material against the stripper plates and, at thesame time, of protecting the operator from coming in contact with therotatable tines. In addition, when the machine is used as a stationarybaler, the hold-down strips may be raised to form a bafiie which causesall of the material pitched into the machine to be,f ntathebaler.

1 Prefer ly'the pick-up unit is driven from a connection to. one. of thedrive wheels of the implement. This connection may include a serratedpower take off pulley or roller 177 which is adapted to be engagedagainst the inner tire 131 of the drive wheel 33 by means of a rod 179which extends forwardly to a point adjacent the operators position. Theserrated pulley 177 is keyed to a shaft 181 which is suitably journalledinto an adjustably positionable bearing 183 attached to the frame F. Asprocket 185 is keyed to the other end of the shaft 181, and thissprocket 185 is operatively attached to a sprocket 187 on a cross shaft189 by means of a suitable drive chain 191. The cross shaft 189 isjournalled at one end in the frame of the implement, and at the otherend into the frame of the pick-up unit, and is connected to the pick-upby means which includes a longitudinally extensible shaft section, apair of universal joints 193, which permit the pick-up unit W to moverelative to the main frame of the implement, a sprocket 195, and a chain196 which operatively joins the sprocket with a sprocket 197 keyed tothe end of the pick-up cylinder shaft 141. The connection between thepick-up cylinder and the ground wheel insures that the peripheral speedof the pick up cylinder will at all times be proportional to the groundspeed of the implement. Thus, the tines will move at a speed in apredetermined relation to the ground speed of the implement and willefficiently pick up windrowed material at all speeds of the implement.

If it is desired to drive the pick up cylinder at a speed proportionalto the ground speed of the implement without employing a friction drivesuch as the serrated pulley 177, a direct connection can be made betweenshaft 189 and the shaft 121 which is one of the drive elements for theimplement. In this connection, it should be noted that shafts 121 and189 turn in opposite directions and that a reversing means must be used,as for example, a crossed belt and two pulleys.

Feeding unit The feeding unit G, shown especially in Figs. 8, 12, 13,14, and 15 in the drawings, is adapted to deliver the crop material fromthe windrow pick-up unit W into the baling chamber B. The feeding unit Gcomprises an auger 199 which is disposed transversely to the line ofdraft of the implement and a pair of vertically disposed, transverselyextending, converging feed belts 201 and 2113 which are adapted todeliver the material into the baling chamber B in a precompressed,vertical ribbon. The feeding mechanism is supported on theoutrigger-like frame 31 within a suitable housing 205. The housing 205includes a lower closure or bottom member 207, an end closure or member209 which seals off the outer end of the feeding mechanism, a rearclosure or back member 211 which is hingedly supported at its bottomedge by a pair of hinges 2112 (Figs. 17 and 17a) so that it can belowered to form a rearwardly extending, downwardly inclined, platform,and an upper closure or top member 213. An opening is provided in theforward side of the housing 205, this opening having the same length asthe width of the pick-up unit W, in order that all material which isgathered up by the pick-up unit W will be conveniently moved into thefeeding unit G. The housing 205 also includes suitable cover plates 214which are adapted to protective-1y surround all of the moving elementsof the feeding unit G. i

The auger 199 includes a central core 215 which is provided with ajournal portion 217 of reduced size, at each end (Fig. 17). A spirallyformed member 219 is welded or'otherwise fastened to the cylindricalcore 215 to define the flight of the auger, and the direction ofrotation of the auger is such that the material collected by the pick-upis delivered into the nip formed by the feeding belts 201 and 203. Theauger flight 2.19 may be formed from one piece of metal or, moreconveniently, may be. fabricated from a series of short segments whichare welded together toform the complete spiral. The j our nal sectionportion 217, at the outer end of the auger 195. is rotatably supportedin a suitable bearing 222 in the end member 209 of the housing, 205, andthe journal portion 217 at the inner end of the auger 199 is journalledin a bearing which is supported upon a bracket 221 attached to a memberof the housing 205 (Fig. 12).

A stripper bar 223, which is proportioned to co-act with the auger 199,is supported in the housing 205 at a point adjacent the juncture betweenthe back member 211 and the top member 213. The stripper bar 223 co-actswith the auger 199 in the usual manner, and causes crop material to moveinwardly towards the feed belts 201 and 203 instead of traveling aroundthe auger 199.

l The pair of transversely extending, vertically disposed, convergingfeed belts 201 and 203 extend from the delivery end of the auger 199 toa point adjacent an inlet opening 225 into the baling chamber B (Figs.13 and 14). The inner or co-acting runs of the feed belts 201 and 203form a receiving nip adjacent the delivery end of the auger 199 and thenconverge as they approach the opening 225 in the baling chamber, so thatcrop materials being baled are compressed into a thin, verticallyextending ribbon. Compression, or precompression, of the material beingbaled is increased in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, byresiliently biasing the forward feed belt 201 against the rearward feedbelt 203 as will hereinafter be described.

Each of the feed belts 201 and 203 comprises a plurality of continuousstrips of flat belting 227 and 227a, respectively (Fig. 14), which aresuitably supported on vertically extending rollers 201a, 20111, and2010, and 203a, 203b, -30, and 203d. The face of each of the rollers isprovided with spaced-apart ridges 229 which are adapted to guide theindividual strips of belting 227 and to maintain them in a predeterminedposition.

The rollers 203a, 203b, 2030, and 203d for the rear feed belt 203 arerotatably journalled into a sub-frame 231 which includes an upper plate233, a lower plate 235, and vertically extending strengthening andspacing members 237. The guide rollers 203a and 203b, which support theinner faces of belt sections 227a, are rotatably journalled adjacent theforward edge of the sub-frame 231, at its inner and outer endsrespectively. The guide roller 203a which is disposed adjacent the inlet225 to the baling chamber, should be of small diameter so that the cropmaterials are thrown into the baling chamber instead of following thebelts 227a around the roller 203a, as would be the case if a largerdiameter roller were used. The driving roller 203d is of relativelylarge diameter and is positioned to the rear of the inner run of thebelt 22711, in a position intermediate the guide rollers 203a and 20311.The driving roller 203d is supported upon a vertically extending shaft239 which is long enough to extend through both the bottom 207 and thetop 213 of the feeding unit housing 205. The proper belt wrap for thedrive roller 203d is obtained by providing a take up roller, indicatedat 2030, to the rear of the driving roller 203d. The take up roller 203cis journalled into a frame 240 which is slidably supported intransversely extending slots 241 in the upper and lower plates 233 and235 respectively, and is made adjustable in a transverse direction bymeans of a pair of threaded, adjusting rods 243 which extend throughsuitably spaced holes in the vertical frame member 237. Accurateadjustment is made possible by threaded hand knobs 245 which engage thethreaded adjusting rods 243.

The sub-frame 231 for the rearward feed belt 203 is held in a fixedposition relative to the feeding unit mechanism by means of a novelspring latch arrangement 247 which is illustrated, particularly, in Fig.14. The spring latch arrangement 247 includes a vertically extendingspacer rod 248 which is attached at its ends to the upper and lowerplates 233 and 235 of the sub-frame 231. The connection between thevertically extending spacer rod 248 and the plates 233 and 235 mayinclude a pair of L-shaped castings 250 and 250:: which serve toreinforce the connections. A pair of outwardly extending cantilevermembers 252 and 252a are attached to the verti cally extending spacerrod 248 in positions which are spaced from each of the L-shaped castings250 and 25011. Coaxial holes, which are adapted to receive a pair oflatching pinS 25 i and 254a, are drilled through the cantilever members252 and 2520, the L-shaped castings 250 and 255%, the plates 233 and235, and the top and bottom members 207 and 213 of the feeding unithousing. The holes are positioned so that when they are aligned thesub-frame 23]. and the associated feed belt 203 are in the properposition, relative ot the feed belt 201, to insure effectiveprecompression of the crop materials being baled.

The latching pins or slide bolts 254 and 254a extend through the drilledholes in the top and bottom members 213 and 207 respectively of the feedunit housing. The pins 25d and 25th are biased into engagement with thetop and bottom members of the feed unit housing by means of coiledsprings 256 which act against a washer 253 or other projection which isattached to the shank of each of the sliding bolts or pins 254 and 254a.Bell crank levers 260 and 260a are pivotally connected to the outwardlyextending cantilever members 252 and 252a, respectively. Each of thebell crank levers 260 and 260a is positioned so that one of its armsextends generally vertically along the spacing member and the other ofits arms engages the free end of the belt or locking pin adjacent thecantilever members.

When the arms of the bell crank levers and the spacer rod are squeezedtogether by hand, the biasing action of the springs 256 is overcome andthe latching bolts or pins 254 and 254a are retracted from the holes inthe upper and lower covers 213 and 207 respectively. The inner end ofthe feed belt sub-frame 231 and its associated rollers and belts thenmay be swung rearwardly about the drive roll shaft 239. Thisconstruction facilitates access to the baling chamber opening 225 formaintenance or repair of the baling plunger.

The forward feed belt 201 also includes a sub-frame 251, three sectionsof fiat belting 227, and the supporting rollers 201a, 20112, and 2010for the belt sections. These rollers are provided with the ridges 229for guiding and positioning the belt sections and are supported bysuitable bearings on the sub-frame 251 (Figs. 12 and 14). The driveroller 20112 for the forward feed belt is positioned at the outer end ofthe sub-frame 251. drive roller 20% is supported upon an elongated shaft2 19 which is adapted to extend through the top 213 and the bottom 207of the feed unit housing 205; the inner end of the feed belt is providedwith a guide roller 201a of a suitable small diameter, similar to theroller 2030. The sub-frame 251 includes top and bottom plate members 253and 255, and a vertical, spacing and strength ening member 257. The takeup roller 2010 is supported in a separate, U-shaped frame 259 which isslidably supported in slots 261 in the upper and lower plates 2533 and255, the slots 261 extending transverse to the line of movement of theinner face of the forward feed belt. Adjusting rods 263 are providedwhich extend through the fixed vertical frame member 257, and theseco-act with threaded knobs 265 similar to the knobs 245 used to adjustthe tension in the rearward feed belt.

The forward feed belt 201 is biased to the position shown in Figs. l2,l3, and 14 by a spring 269, and adapted to swing about the drive rollshaft 2 39 toward and away from the other feed belt At the inner end ofthe sub-frame 251 there is a vertically extending, curved, metal plate267 which co-acts with the outer surface of the baling chamber B toprevent the loss of crop materials when the forward belt 201 moves fromthe Fig. 12 position. The biasing spring 269 acts between the verticalspacer 257 and a bracket 271 which is fixedly attached to the feed unithousing 205.

The feeding unit G is power driven from the baler mechanism by means ofa conventional flat drivebelt The 273 (Figs. 8 and 15). The upper end ofthe shaft 239 for the rear feed belt drive roll 203d is provided with apulley 275 which is engaged by the flat drive belt 273, and suitableidler pulleys 277 and 279 (Fig. 15) are journalled on verticallyextending stub shafts 281 and 283 which are attached to the top member213 of the feed unit housing 205. The pulley 275 is the main drivepulley. As the drive belt 273 extends from the driving mechanism in ahorizontal plane and since the idlers 277 and 279 and the pulley 275 onthe rear feed belt drive shaft 239 extend vertically, suitable means arerequired for turning the belt on edge in order that it may engage themain drive pulley 275. This means will be described in the sectionentitled Power drive connections.

A pulley 285 is keyed to the lower end of the rear feed belt drive shaft239 and this is operatively connected to a pulley 287 on the lower endof the forward feed belt drive shaft 249 by means of a suitable V-belt239. A spring biased belt tightener 291 is provided on the run of belt239 to insure a positive drive connection. The belt tightener 291includes a bell crank lever 293, one arm of which is pivotally attachedto the bottom member 207 of the feed unit housing 285 by means of a pin295, and the other arm of which supports a belt tightener pulley 297. Aspring 299 extends from the juncture of the two arms of the bell cranklever 293 to a fixed point on the feed unit housing 205 in order toprovide the proper tension for the belt 289.

The auger 199 is driven, by means of a l-belt 333,

from a pulley 301 keyed to the upper end of the forward feed belt driveshaft 249. The V-belt 303 connects the pulley 301 with a pulley 305keyed to the outer journal section 217 of the auger 199 and theconnection includes a suitable reversing pulley 307 and a belt tightcner399.

The V-belt extends from the pulley 301 on the forward feed belt driveshaft 249 around the belt tightener pulley 309 which engages the back,or fiat side of the V-belt 303. The belt tightener pulley 309 is of thesame type as the belt tightener pulley 291 which has been described inconnection with the belt 289, and includes a bell crank lever 311 and abiasing spring 313. The inner, or V, surface of the belt 303 then passesaround the fixed reversing pulley 337 which is journalled on avertically extending shaft 315 attached in the top member 213 of thefeed unit housing 235. The belt 333 then runs over an idler pulley 317which is supported on a longitudinally extending, horizontally disposedshaft 319, around the drive pulley 305 on the journal section 217,upwardly around an idler pulley 321 which is supported on alongitudinally extending, horizontally disposed shaft 323 and back tothe pulley 301.

Under some operating conditions, it is desirable to provide a fixedbacking plate (not shown) to reinforce the inner runs of the feed belts201 and 203 which engage the crop materials. The backing plate should besuitably shaped so as to prevent undue wear on the belt and in someinstances can be resiliently biased against the run of its associatedbelt. A backing plate insures a more positive pressure on the materialbeing baled and results in even more effective precompression.

Under some operating conditions a single feed belt may be used tocompress the material being baled instead of the three belt sections 227described above, but it has been found that for the most efiicientprecompression a multiplicity of belt sections 227 have an advantage inthat they can be held at a greater tension without causing the belts torun out of line.

in the foregoing, there has been described a novel feeding unit for abaler which is adapted to deliver the material being baled into thebaling chamber in a precompressed, vertically extending ribbon. Thefeeding of the material into a baler in this form causes the bales tohave fiat sides and square corners, and to be of a uniform densitythrough its length and its cross sec 12 tional area. Under conditions ofextremely light feeding, the feed belts which are resiliently biasedtogether cause the material to be evenly distributed vertically acrossthe baling chamber and thus prevent the density variations which areusually noted when ordinary feeding arrangements are used.

Baling chamber The baling chamber B is supported upon the longitudinallyextending portion of the frame of the prime mover in a position adjacentthe discharge end of the feed belts 2G1 and 203. The baling chamber B isfabri cated from suitable plate members 325 which are welded orotherwise fastened together to form the top, the bottom, and the sidesof the rectangularly shaped chamber. The rectangular opening 225 intothe baling chamber is located adjacent the outlet end of the feed belts201 and 203, and the material being baled is fed into the chamberthrough this opening. A plurality of vent holes 327 are provided in thebottom surface of the baling chamber B so that the pressure of airwithin the chamber remains normal during the baling operation (Fig. 18).

A baling plunger or piston 329, having a rectangular cross section, isslidably supported within the baling chamber B. The proportions of thepiston are such that it fits closely within the baling chamber therebyassuring that the crop materials will be efficiently compressed. Thepiston 329 is reciprocated by means of a crank shaft 333 which isrotably journalled in suitable bearings at the forward end of the balingchamber B (Figs. 3 and 25). The connection between the crank shaft 333and the piston 329 is conveniently made by a conventional connecting rod335. The crank shaft 333 is horizontally disposed and extendsransversely of the baling chamber. One end of the crank shaft projectsout of the baling chamber, and a large cast iron or fabricated fly wheel337 is attached thereto. It is possible to reciprocate the baling piston329 in various ways, as for example by the use of a cam keyed to a crossshaft, the cam operating against a spring biased push rod which isconnected to the baling piston 329. Under some circumstances a variablespeed stroke, such as would be obtained by the action of a cam, may bedesirable. For example, the compression stroke can be slowed down with acorresponding increase in the speed of the return stroke. Also thepiston can be caused to pause momentarily at the beginning of the powerstroke, thereby keeping the feed opening unobstructed for a greaterperiod of time during each stroke despite the use of a slow compressionstroke.

A shearing blade 33) is attached to the side of the piston which isadjacent the intake or feeding opening 225 by means of a plurality ofcap screws 341 (Fig. 18). The shearing blade 339 cooperates with a fixedshear plate 343 which is attached to the rearward edge of the intakeopening 225 (Fig. 13). On each stroke of the baling piston 329, the cropmaterial being baled is cut off by the shear blade 339 as the crop iscompressed so that the baled material forms a plurality of individuallyseparable, compressed layers.

In order to prevent the baled material from re-expanding to its originalvolume, a plurality of inclined wedges 345 are attached to the walls 325of the baling chamber. The wedges 345 are relatively narrow (incommercial embodiment of the invention having a bale case which hascross sectional dimensions of approximately 16 inches by 20 inches, thewedges are only about /8 inch, wide and extend outwardly from the wallsabout inch. two wedges being provided on the top, the bottom, and oneach of the sides) and they are positioned so as to present a flatsurface to the already baled material, thus preventing its reexpansion(Fig. 18). The inclined or wedge. surface is presented to the materialwhich is being compressed by the, piston 329. A plurality of recesses347 are provided in the baling piston 329 to permit the,

13 face of the piston to move rearwardly past the wedges 343'. Thisinsures that the material being baled is forced past the wedges on eachstroke of the piston. l

A particularly successful replaceable wedge construction is shown inFigs. 19 and 20. The illustrated wedge 345 includes a wedge portion 346which has one surface 348 approximately perpendicular to the wall 325 ofthe bale case and another surface 350 which is inclined toward the wall325. The other two surfaces 352 of the wedge portion are in the shape ofa right triangle and lie in parallel planes which are substantiallyperpendicular to the walls 325. An irregular. shaped boss 354, which maybe in the shape of a rectangular prism, as illustrated, is integrallyattached to the bottom of the wedge portion 346. The rectangular prism354 has a cross sectional area which is less than the cross sectionalarea of the wedge portion 346. The prism portion is provided with asuitably drilled and tapped hole 356. When attaching the wedge 345 tothe wall 325 of the baling chamber, a rectangular or square aperturewhich will receive the rectangular prism section 354 is provided in thewall 325. The prism portion is placed in the aperture, and is locked inplace by means of a machine screw 358 and an enlarged washer 360, asillustrated in Fig. 20.

A wedge, as above described, may be easily replaced when it becomes wornand is not subject to the failures of the usual spring biased dogs whichare used in the conventional baler. The natural resiliency of thematerial being baled is utilized in forcing the material into engagementwith the wedges, and the narrow width of the wedges reduces the amountof damage to leaves and stalks and thus elfectively prevents dusting.

The improved feeding unit G of the invention, which provides aprecompressed ribbon of crop materials, makes possible a substantialreduction in the length of the stroke of the piston, together with anincrease in the number of working strokes per minute, as compared withthe known prior arrangements. In the embodiment of the inventionillustrated, the stroke of the piston is about 8 inches, and the pistonis reciprocated so that it has about 200 working strokes per minute.Prior apparatus of similar capacity operated at piston speeds of theorder of 30 to 45 working strokes per minute and with a length of stnokeof the order of 3 feet. It is desirable that the speed of the piston becorrelated with the speed of the feed belts 201 and 203 so that theinlet opening 225 to the baling chamber will remain open fora sufficienttime to allow an even layer of material to be deposited in the balingchamber prior to each compression stroke of the piston.

In balers constructed in accordance with the invention it has been foundthat a ribbon of precompressed crop material having a length of aboutone and one-half times the width of the baling chamber-should be fedinto the chamber on each stroke of the piston. When the speeds of thefeed belts are so correlated to the rate of the working strokes of thebaling piston, the crop matenials being baled are formed into flatsections within thebale which have parallel sides which may be easilydetached from one another to facilitate the use of the baled material.The above ratio has been found to be substantially an optimum ratio forbaling various difierent crop materials, as for example, hay, straw,alfalfa, and clover. However, when the baler is to be used for balingstraw, for example, for long periods of time, it may be desirable toadjust the speed ratio between the feed belts and the piston speed byvarying the size of the drive pulley 275.

In a particular commercial embodiment of the invention which has abaling case 18 inches high and 14 inches wide, and a piston stroke of 8inches, it has been found desirable to feed about 22linear inches of theprecompressed ribbon of crop materials into the chamber for each strokeof the piston. Observations made during the operation of this embodimentshow that the picked-up crop material leaving the auger and entering thereceiving nip of the feeding belts extends substantially the entireheight of the feeding belts and is from 12 to 15 inches in thickness.After precompression by the resiliently biased feed belts, the thicknessof the material is reduced to about from 1 to 6 inches, theprecompressed material thus occupies from about V to of its originalvolume. Correlation between the linear speed of the feeding belts andthe rate of travel of the piston is extremely important if all types ofcrop materials are to be efficiently baled.

The construction of the invention makes possible economy of manufactureand of operation, because expensive reduction gears, massive fly wheels,and the like are eliminated, and the ovenall cost of the implement maybe reduced. The high speed piston permits the fly wheel, which alsoserves as the drive pulley, to be mounted directly on the crank shaft,and in addition it becomes possible to use a smaller fly wheel. The highspeed operation of the crank and fly wheel has the further importantadvantage that it loads the driving engine or other drive mechanism muchmore evenly than the slower speed prior machines. The combination of thelong slow piston stroke of the prior art machines together with thehorizontal feed openings, caused the crop materials being baled tobecome more dense at the bottom of the chamber than at the top, ascontrasted with the short stroke and vertical feed opening combinationof the present invention which produces thin even layers of materialwith accompanying uniform density thnoughout the height of the bales.

Bale case The ovenall density of the baled material is determined by theresistance of the material which has been previously compressed to thebaling piston. This resistance in turn is determined by the relativedimensions: of the bale case, and in most balers there is provision madefor adjusting these dimensions to permit the handling of different cropmaterials.

The bale case C is located longitudinally adjacent to the rear of thebaling chamber B and is shown particularly in Figs. 1, 2, 22, and 23.The bale case C, is, in genenal, a guideway for the baled material,which is of adjustable cross sectional area, and includes a top and abottom member, 349 and 351 respectively, which are spaced apart at theirrearward ends by means of a vertically extending yoke 353 which permitsa predetermined amount of ventical movement therebetween. The bottommember 351 of the bale case C is formed from a longitudinally extendingplate which is supported upon the angle members 37 of the main frame F.The top member 349 of the bale case is a channel member which ipositioned with its two reinforcing webs extending downwardly. The anglebetween the webs and the connecting section of the channel causes theupper corners of the baled material to have sharp edges.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, adjustment of thedensity in the baled material, indicated at 355 in Fig. 22, isaccomplished by reducing the vertical spacing between the top and bottommembers 349 and 351. The change in spacing is effected by moving of the'top member 349 which is hinged to permit its movement relative to thelower member so as to provide an added resistance to the movement of thealready baled material through the bale case. The top of the bale casemay be hinged to the upper member of the bale chamber in any convenientmanner, but We have: found that sufficient hinge action may be obtainedby welding or otherwise attaching a piece of angle iron 357 to the endof the top member 349 of the bale case C and a similar piece of angleiron 359 to the top of the baling chamber. The pieces of angle iron 357and 359 are loosely fastened together by means of bolts or rivets 361(Figs. 1 and 2). This .type of yielding connection has been found topermit the required relative movement.

The vertically extending yoke 353, which determines the position of thetop member 349 of the bale case C includes

